Moog Modular 55 on eBay

If you're fond of hanging out on eBay, you might have already noticed something
of a rarity is up for auction: an original Moog 55 Modular Synthesizer in excellent
condition. They're a rare breed and, to many, are the ultimate synth of the 60s
and 70s. Now all you have to do is find the $35,000 to own one!

The synth lacks the keyboard controller unit, but the cabinets are in great
condition and contain the following modules:

992 - control voltages (illuminated red or blue switches linked to the 904A)

994 - jack multiples (duplicates voltages)

995 - attenuators

CP2 - CV and trigger outputs, and filters

CP3A - mixer (illuminated switches linked to the VCOs) x 3

CP8A - power switch (Moog 35 and Moog 55)

The Moog Modular

From Wikipedia

In 1964, Robert Moog created one of the first modular
voltage-controlled music synthesizers, and demonstrated it at the AES convention that
year. Moog employed his theremin company to manufacture and market his synthesizers which,
unlike the synthesizers created by Don Buchla (the other prominent figure in the early
history of the synthesizer), featured a piano-style keyboard as a significant
portion of the user interface. Moog also established standards for analog synthesizer
control interfacing, with a logarithmic one volt-per-octave pitch control and
a separate pulse triggering signal.

The first Moog system was bought by choreographer Alwin Nikolais. Lothar and
the Hand People began using the modular Moog in 1965. Composers Eric Siday and
Chris Swansen were also among the first customers, with Paul Beaver being the
first to use a modular Moog on a record in 1967. It was Wendy Carlos' 1968 Switched-
On Bach which featured Carlos' custom-built modular synthesizer as the only instrument
on the recording which brought widespread interest to the Moog synthesizer. Shortly
after, Keith Emerson, the Monkees,
Jan Hammer, Tangerine Dream, The Beatles,
and The Rolling Stones also became owners of modular Moogs. This new popularity
led to the 1970 release of the classic Minimoog and subsequent Moog
synthesizers, modeled after the larger modular systems and designed for portability, usability,
and affordability. A number of universities purchased Moog systems or modules;
the University of Iowa where composer Peter Tod Lewis was a faculty member, for
example, owned a Moog Modular IIIC with an optional double-sequencer addition.

The Moog modular synthesizer is considered by enthusiasts to be the original
and definitive synthesizer. Although digital synthesizers and samplers are generally
more user friendly than a modular synthesizer and available at a fraction of
the price that it would take to acquire and maintain a modular system, modular
Moogs continue to be valued by collectors and musicians alike.

The Moog modular system consists of a number of various modules mounted in
a cabinet. Each module performs a specific signal-generating or -modifying function.
These modules offered unprecedented control over creating sounds by allowing
a user to modify primary sound waveforms (sine waves, square waves and other
waveforms provided by voltage controlled oscillators or VCO) with amplitude modulators
(voltage controlled amplifiers or VCA) and frequency modulators (voltage controlled
filters (VCF) or fixed filter banks) and other modifiers. Envelope generators
provided further control by modulating the attack, decay, sustain and release
(ADSR) parameters of the VCAs, VCFs and other modules. The modules are patched
together with 1/4 inch patch cords. The patch cords and module parameter knobs
could be adjusted in countless ways to create a nearly infinite number of sounds.
The final sound was heard ('triggered') from the system by pressing a key on
an attached keyboard or pressing on the ribbon controller.

The Moog modular synthesizer offered musicians a revolutionary new way to produce
sound when it was released in the 1960s. It was originally intended for use in
recording studios and universities and was not intended for (or widely embraced
by) musicians for use in live performance. The analog electronics of the system
often made sound generation unreliable and unpredictable during live performances.
For example, the VCOs were notorious for their inability to hold a fixed frequency
for any extended period of time and would often change pitch and go out of tune,
especially in hot or damp environments. Additionally, modular sounds could not
be programmed and stored for retrieval due to the instrument's analog nature.
Changing sounds on the system was a time-consuming task requiring the physical
re-routing of numerous patch cords and manual knob adjustments.

Another common problem is the Moog's incompatibility with the gate/trigger
voltage used in most other synthesizers of the time. Moog equipment used a high-
state logic called S-trig, which maintained at +8-10 volts until the trigger
was sent, dropping the voltage to 0, the opposite of what was commonly used by
other manufacturers. In addition to this incompatibility, if a certain patch
used an extensive amount of triggering connections, each module would cause a
voltage drop sending the logic over into low-state and firing the S-trigger.
In spite of all its shortcomings, a few notable artists (including Keith Emerson
of ELP, Klaus Schulze, Tangerine Dream, and Hideki Matsutake with the Yellow
Magic Orchestra) successfully toured with Moog modular systems.

Models

In the early and experimental days of electronic instruments, R.A Moog Co.
sold made-to-order synthesizer systems composed of whatever modules the musician
desired. Starting in 1967, the company began manufacturing a number of pre-assembled
stock modular systems that contained a predetermined number of modules. Later
on, these systems were manufactured and modified based on customer specifications.
Produced from 1967 to 1972, the earliest Moog modular systems were named the
Moog 3, the Moog 2, and the Moog 1. The "C" series featured solid walnut cabinets
and, starting in 1970, the "P" series, designed for portability, came in a road
case. From 1971 to 1973, the Moog 10 and the Moog 12 were manufactured, each mounted
in a road case. Produced from 1972 to 1981, the Moog 15, the Moog 35 and the Moog 55
featured walnut cabinets like the earlier "C" series. Moog also produced the Moog
Co-ordinated Electronic Music Studio (C.E.M.S.).